


Amende Honorable

by Styrian



Series: We Don't Deserve Dick Grayson [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Dick Grayson, Post-Invasion, Post-Season 2, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Wally West is Alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24769093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Styrian/pseuds/Styrian
Summary: He wasn't proud of what he did to prevent the invasion. He wasn't proud of the lies he told and the secrets he kept — the lives he endangered, but he believed it was necessary. He knew there would be consequences. He thought he would be able to handle it, but he's already at a breaking point.----TRIGGER WARNING: Deals with a suicide attempt.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & The Team (Young Justice), Dick Grayson & Wally West
Series: We Don't Deserve Dick Grayson [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790551
Comments: 61
Kudos: 344





	1. Chapter 1

He stared hard at the bottle in his hands, trying to ignore the nagging voices in his head. He's overreacting - this isn't necessary. . .right? 

> _"How could you keep this from us? Don't you trust us at all?"_
> 
> _"M'gann fried Kaldur's brain, she got taken hostage and all of them could have been exposed and killed! Who in the right mind would think this is a good idea?"_
> 
> _"Sorry isn't going to be enough this time, Wing'. You said you wouldn't turn into him."_

He bit his lip harshly, his vision blurring briefly as he stared at the white bottle in his hands. Grasping the lid tightly, he slowly wrenched it open, flinching at the resounding pop. This isn't necessary. He's being a coward.

> _"You really want me to leave?"_
> 
> _"We need time - and space. It'd be better if you didn't stick around."_

The pills inside the container were small and ashen. Miniscule, and created to help people, but harmful when you have too much of it. This isn't necessary. . . _but it is._

> _"I resign from my position as leader and member of the team. Effective immediately."_

He turned the bottle in his hands so that he could get a look at the instructions on the back. 2 pills max. This is the only way. It hurts too much - and he can't fix it. He tried, didn't he?

> _"Good riddance. Traitor."_

He tipped the container to the side, and let all the pills fall into his hand. That should be enough.

* * *

_Wally clicked away at the TV remote as he sat on the couch in the living room, Artemis's head tucked into the nook of his arm._

_The two retired heroes turned their heads to the end table when Wally's phone rang._

_"Who could that be? It's pretty late." Artemis asked._

_The speedster picked up the phone and read the caller ID:_

**_DICK GRAYSON_ **

_He hesitated for a brief moment, then hung up. Now isn't the time._

_"Who was it?" The blonde archer lifted her head from his arm, quirking a brow._

_"Unknown number."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yeah, babe."_

_Before he could react, she snatched the phone from him and swiped her thumb across the screen._

**_ONE VOICEMAIL FROM DICK GRAYSON_ **

_She threw a disapproving look at her partner before dialing voicemail and pressing the phone to her ear. Wally held an unfazed expression until a deep frown creased the archer's brows. She turned her head to meet his eyes, clutching the phone in her hand,"Wally. . ."_

* * *

Dick swallowed one pill, then looked down at the other 14 lying in his palm. One down, 14 to go. He's past the turning point. This is the only way.

> _"You really screwed this one up, Dick."_

He swallowed the second one, wincing when he felt it get stuck in the back of his throat. He took a sip of water to push it down. He wondered what would happen if he stopped here and got help - would tomorrow have been better? Is he making a huge mistake?

> _"You want to send Artemis into the light? No way! We retired for a reason! Why do you have to mess this up for us?"_

He picked up another pill when he heard faint footsteps running down the hall. He was about to put the fourth pill to his lips when someone started banging on the door,"Dick! C'mon - open the door!"

He popped the pill into his mouth and sipped at the glass of water, eyes momentarily flicking to the Nightwing suit bundled up in the corner of the room. The loud yelling and banging didn't stop as the door slowly started giving in under the pressure. Dick narrowed his eyes, and lifted his other hand to tip most of the remaining pills into his mouth. It'll be over soon, and the pain would be gone for good.

Blue, dulling eyes watched the cracking wood half-consciously, the life dwindling in them until his eyelids slid shut of their own accord. He could hear the lock on the door starting to break.

The yelling faded into the background as his body and mind shut down on itself. He could very faintly feel the sensation of hands touching his face and abdomen before the darkness consumed him. It was finally quiet - but cold, so cold.


	2. Chapter 2

Wally's eyes glued themselves to the rising and falling chest of the prone figure on the hospital bed, using it as visual confirmation that the other was still alive and well _(well...ish?)_ \- not dead on his apartment floor like his mind's eye was trying to tell him.

This is not how he imagined seeing Dick again would go. He imagined a scheduled drink at a bar or something of those sorts a few months from now, after they've put all this _invasion_ drama behind them - after everyone else had forgiven him and his life with Artemis had gone back to how it was, _without_ the superhero baggage. After he stopped ignoring the former Robin's calls and texts - _after_ he stopped changing the channel when Nightwing's name was mentioned on the news or _saying no_ when Artemis mentioned visiting the vigilante to work things out.

He convinced himself that he had as good a reason as everyone else to actively avoid him. The anger he felt toward Dick because of his request for Artemis to go into the light hadn't quite dissipated yet, and that helped him place blame for his near-death on the younger man as well.

He felt like his anger was justified, seeing as everyone else had cut contact as well. He had visited the Watch Tower a few times after the invasion to check up on everyone, and he remembered catching even Tim pressing the red button on a call with Dick's name flashing across the screen.

It surprised him at first since the whole keeping secrets thing seemed to run in the Batfamily, but he was quick to remind himself that they usually kept big secrets from outsiders, not each other. The kid probably felt as betrayed as everyone else, if not more.

In the back of his mind, he knew it was unfair that Dick was taking the heat for everything when he, Artemis and Kaldur had to do nothing more than apologize once for everyone to go back to treating them normally.

He often reminded himself that it worked like that because they were the ones who had the most to lose when the plan was in motion, while Dick - the mastermind behind it all - sat back as leader of the team with no bigger casualties looming over his head while two of his friends risked their lives in enemy territory.

The plan was selfish and risky, and Dick had put everyone else's lives on the line except his own to reach his goal - only, that wasn't true in the slightest. It just took an attempted suicide for the speedster to finally admit that to himself.

He stifled a sigh and got up from the chair in the corner of the room, dragging it over to the bed before taking a seat in it again with a hand grasping the metal railing.

The sight in front of him didn't look right. Dick was ghostly pale, almost as white as the blanket he rested beneath, and the tubes attached to him to read his vital signs didn't make it look much better.

The voicemail that Artemis had put on speaker was still replaying in the back of his mind.

> _"Walls, I know you don't want to hear this, and I'd understand if you end up deleting this before listening, but in case you changed your mind this once - I need to say this while I still can. I'm sorry. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but I mean it. I was doing what I thought was needed to save everyone. I won't say I wish I didn't do it, because it worked, but I know I should have handled some things differently."_
> 
> _There was a long pause before he spoke again,"I'm sorry about asking Artemis to go undercover. I should have been the one to do it instead of dragging more people into danger. I want to say I didn't because I needed to be where I was for the plan to work, but at this point I'm starting to think I might have just been making up excuses not to put myself in harm's way."_
> 
> _There was another pause and they could hear rummaging in the background,"I haven't been able to get a hold of anyone on the team during the last few months, and I can understand why. I screwed up big time. I took advantage of their trust in me as team leader, and they have good reason to avoid me. I shouldn't be asking for favors, but tell them I'm sorry too - or don't. Uh - They're probably tired of hearing it too." A faint laugh, but it didn't sound happy in the slightest - just... tired,"This is the last time I'll call. I'm sorry, again."_

Wally turned to face the door when it creaked open to reveal Artemis standing there with a grim look on her face, her attention fixated on the occupied bed in the room.

"What did they say?" He asked, pulling the archer's attention back. She blinked, as if she'd momentarily forgotten what she had left to do, then moved over to his side, a hand coming up to rub his shoulder.

"He's going to be okay, for the most part. He's gonna suffer from some withdrawal symptoms after he wakes up though," she gave his shoulder a tight squeeze,"They want to do a psychiatric evaluation before he leaves, and he's coming home with us. It's that or he stays here under suicide watch - and I doubt that would help him right now."

Wally nodded in understanding as his gaze shifted back to Dick. He couldn't bare to leave him here alone anyway. Having him at home with them would let him rest a bit easier,"We should probably call someone."

She asked,"Who?"

"Anyone. Barbara, Bruce - actually, Alfred is probably the best choice. They should _know_ about this," he replied.

Artemis hesitated and removed her hand from his shoulder,"I think we should wait until he's woken up. It's not a good idea to _announce_ this to the world before he's even awake. He should have a say in who finds out when he's ready."

He stopped himself from reaching for the phone in his pocket, knowing she was right. He didn't need to wake up to a hospital room full of people demanding answers,"Do you know what he took?"

Her brows furrowed as a frown tugged at her lips,"It was an opioid. Some form of pain reliever. Something he would have in stock for injuries. That means this could've been an in the moment decision. He didn't go out of his way to buy drugs for suicide."

The thought didn't provide the retired speedster with much comfort,"That's...good, I guess?"

Artemis responded with a short hum before turning on her heels to head back to the door,"I've gotta go talk to the doctor about the living arrangements and the psychiatric thing."

He made a move to get up from his seat,"Want me to come with?"

"No," she glanced back at the speedster,"Someone needs to be here when he comes to. I think he's been alone long enough."

He watched the door close and took a deep breath, sitting back down to watch the sleeping vigilante - and so the wait begun.


	3. Chapter 3

The loud, high-pitched dings from the heart monitor are what eventually woke Dick from his drug-induced slumber. He opened his eyes, immediately squinting when a bright, white light blared down on him. His foggy mind briefly wondered if he was dead.

As he slowly became more aware of his surroundings and his vision focused enough for him to be able to tolerate the bright light, he realized that his head was aching painfully. Now, he didn't know much about death or what happens afterwards, but he was relatively sure physical pain wasn't supposed to be part of the deal.

He furrowed his brows, and slowly turned his head to the side. The first thing he saw was a bright, red line jumping up and down on a black screen, the beep sounding every time it went up. It didn't take long for the vigilante to realize that it was a heart monitor. The stiff, white pillow his head was resting on only confirmed his suspicions. A hospital.

He heard something shifting against leather and looked down to see a red-headed stranger sitting at his bedside, hunched over with their head buried in their hands. It took his clearing mind a full two minutes to realize who it was.

"Wally?"

Wally's head snapped up in response to the scratchy voice, green eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. He immediately stood up, the chair falling back and hitting the floor with a loud thud. Dick flinched, his sharp headache not taking the crash too well.

The speedster grimaced, mentally face palming himself as he grabbed the chair and put it back in its original position,"My bad."

Dick kept his silence for the moment, slowly moving to prop himself up on his arms. Wally stepped forward to stop him, picking up a small remote from the tray next to the bed.

"Stay down, I got it," he pressed a button and the top half of the bed shifted into an upward position, prompting Dick to relax against it.

"Thank you," his voice was still sounding nowhere near how it should, but it was louder than the whisper from before. Wally heaved a sigh and set the remote down, then took a seat in the chair again.

Silence engulfed the room as Dick stared at the stark ceiling and Wally stared at him, his tongue feeling like lead in his mouth. He'd never done this before - didn't think he'd ever have to. There was a day, a few years ago, when he and Flash came across a miserable businessman on patrol. He was standing on top of a bridge, saying he wanted to jump, but Barry somehow managed to talk him out of it - no powers, or false promises - just an honest heart to heart conversation between two people. He's not sure he has a clue on how to do that, but this is Dick - someone he knows personally. It should be easier. It should.

He opened his mouth to speak, causing blue eyes to shift towards him, seemingly looking for something. He really wanted to know what was happening behind those baby blues right now,"You scared the _shit_ out of me tonight, dude."

It was all that he could think to say right now, and it earned him a slight upward twitch of his bedridden friend's lips. Dick looked sort of - relieved.

That's good. A faint smile graced his own lips as he spoke again, leaning forward to rest his arms on the thin mattress, inches away from his friend's hip,"What were you _thinking_ , Dick?"

The raven-haired man pressed his lips back into a thin line and turned his eyes back to the ceiling,"I was thinking I wanted to die."

"Why?" he felt like he might already know, but he wanted to hear it from him in person. Confirm that this was their fault - _his_ fault.

There was a long pause before he received an answer,"It hurts - and I'm tired," he took a deep breath, wincing,"I'm tired of acting like I can handle it, because I can't. I'm not strong enough."

"What hurts, Dick?" he knew Artemis wouldn't be happy with him digging for answers right now, but he knew his best friend. If he didn't get answers out of him now, it won't be long before he becomes coherent enough to pull his _Bruce Wayne_ stunt of bottling everything up and acting like all is fine - then they'll end up back here in no time, or worse, they _wouldn't_.

He didn't get a response at first, so he reached out to grasp the wrist resting on top of the blanket, and gave it a squeeze to see if the younger hero was still even paying attention,"Talk to me - please."

Pale fingers slowly curled into the blanket, cerulean eyes still choosing to watch the ceiling,"I lost everything - again. Or I threw it all away. I know it's my fault," he took a deep breath,"my family and friends, my job, Nightwing."

"Nightwing?" Wally struggled not to look bewildered,"how did you lose Nightwing?"

The blanket was being gripped so tight that his knuckles turned white,"He's wanted by the police."

He gave his wrist another light squeeze, deciding to move from that topic for now. It wasn't smart to talk about that in a place like this,"What about your job? How'd you lose that?"

"I..." Dick grimaced,"I was let go," Wally wanted to question that again, but he continued before he could,"The Chief told me not to come back until I get my head on straight."

Wally released his wrist and leaned back in the chair with a hand running through his hair, trying to understand the information he was being given. Dick continued once more,"Of course, no job, no pay. My apartment was being seized in a week. I figured..." he trailed off into silence. Wally didn't need to hear the end of that to know what it meant.

"Dick, why...why didn't you talk to someone?" it was a stupid question, he knew, because the answer he got forced all the air out of his lungs and stabbed into his gut like a sharp knife.

"No one picked up."

His breath hitched and he moved forward to lean onto the bed again, refraining from grabbing at the man. He can't imagine that a hug would make anything better right now," _God_ , I'm sorry, Dick," it wasn't enough, but it was all he could offer right now,"I'm so sorry."

There was silence again, and he reached out to grasp a cold hand, earning the other's gaze for the moment,"I _really_ screwed up."

Dick seemed like he wanted to shake his head, but the pain stopped him from moving too much. Wally frowned when he heard voices slowly inching closer to the door, it sounded like Artemis and the doctor from earlier. He sighed,"The doctor wants to come in and check on you, so Artemis and I probably have to step outside for a bit. No one knows about this except the three of us. Do you want me to call someone? Alfred, _Bruce_?"

The younger hero's eyes widened momentarily and he suddenly found the strength to shake his head," _No_ , I - Bruce doesn't need to know."

"Okay, I get that," he nodded,"what about Alfred?"

"No, he..." Dick moved a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose,"Please don't call anyone."

"Okay, I won't." Now was probably as good a time as any to add,"Oh, and you're coming home with us for a while."

Blue eyes flicked up to meet his, the surprise clear in them,"I'm going to _live_ with you? Wally, I-"

"Dude, if you're not living with us, we're coming to live with you. It's already been decided."

Dick opened his mouth to speak again, but the doctor's entrance stopped him,"Mr. Grayson. I hope you're feeling alright - I just need to ask you a few questions."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know who's reactions you'd really like to see!


	4. Chapter 4

They left the hospital and stopped by Dick's apartment to grab the essentials before embarking on a ride to their place.

They left the house back in Palo Alto, California to move to a comfy homestead situated near Gotham after the invasion, and he'd never been more thankful for that decision than he was tonight - mostly because he wouldn't have gotten to Dick in time if he had to run across most of the country just to reach Bludhaven.

On the way to their home with Artemis behind the wheel, Wally found himself glancing at the backseats more often than he could count. Dick was covered in a beige blanket (one his googly-eyed nurse had generously given them before they left) and leaning against the car window, glazed eyes staring outside at nothing in particular.

He was already working up a bit of a sweat and they could hear him shifting restlessly every few minutes, which prompted Wally to offer him water, that he declined with a silent shake of his head.

It took about an hour for them to reach the house. The car came to a halt in the driveway and Dick perked up in his seat when loud, familiar barking brought him out of his stupor.

Wally slid out of the passenger seat and moved to help Dick out as Artemis retrieved the luggage. He pulled the vigilante's arm over his shoulders and felt the heat radiating off of his skin in waves.

Dick couldn't do much other than rest most of his weight on the speedster's shoulders once he was on his feet with his muscles aching in protest to the movement.

They followed Artemis into the front yard, but couldn't get to the steps before a wagging tail met them on the grass. Dick glanced down as Brucely sniffed at his feet,"Think he remembers me..?"

Wally moved forward towards the steps, the white pit-bull releasing a displeased bark before following the two heroes into the house,"You kidding? He remembers those treats you brought him."

"Ah ha - he's gonna be disappointed, because I didn't bring any this time." Dick murmured as he was lowered to sit on the brown sofa in their living room.

Brucely jumped onto the cushion beside him and immediately stuck his nose into the pocket of his jeans, most likely looking for the treats he found there last time. Dick wore a look of amusement and proceeded to scratch his head,"No dice, sorry little guy."

He received a sad whine in return before the dog chose to lie down, head pressed into the side of his leg.

Wally dropped the blanket into a bundle behind Brucely before moving to take the luggage from Artemis and replacing it in the guest room.

The archer filled a tall glass with water and brought it over to the couch,"How are you holding up?" She held the glass out to her former teammate,"The worst symptoms are normally in the beginning."

Dick took the water and sipped at it with a light shake of his head,"Not for this - I might be hogging your toilet like a drunk in a day or two."

She snorted,"Noted."

They shared a knowing look before she pressed the back of her hand against his sweaty forehead, a frown adorning her lips when she felt the heat on her skin,"You know people care about you, right?"

He sipped at the water again, briefly glancing up when she removed her hand. He pulled his legs up onto the couch in a cross-legged position, making Brucely shift and try to get into his lap. He allowed the dog to settle down on him before he spoke again,"You think I should call them."

"Not everyone, and you don't have to do it now." She took a seat beside him and fished his cellphone out of her pocket. She grabbed from his nightstand when they went to get his belongings.

She dropped the device into his hands,"You don't have to tell them what happened either, just - _talk_ to them. You'll feel a lot better."

He stared at the phone, biting his lip,"Who would you suggest?"

She quirked an eyebrow,"Is there anyone in the bat-family who can hold a normal conversation and _isn't_ emotionally constipated?"

The corners of his lips twitched,"Alfred."

She smiled back," _There_ you go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are very appreciated! Please provide feedback and suggestions if you'd like me to explore something specific.


	5. Chapter 5

Dick unlocked the phone and scrolled down to Alfred's name on his contact list as Wally emerged from the guest room.

The speedster made brief eye contact with Artemis before walking over to the kitchen area. He retrieved some snacks from the cupboards and brought over a cold water bottle from the fridge, setting it down on the coffee table in front of the couch,"You should eat something, dude."

Dick shot him a thankful look,"I will - just, give me a minute."

He gently nudged at the dog with his hand. Brucely got the message and reluctantly relocated himself, moving from Dick's lap to Artemis's with a soft huff. He scratched at the animal's head one more time before getting up from the sofa with the phone in hand.

He regretted it almost immediately though, because the room started spinning as soon as he stood. He swayed on his feet until Wally stepped forward and grabbed hold of his arms,"You okay?"

"Light-headed." He stated, closing his eyes for a moment as he steadied himself,"It's fine."

"Let me help you," the speedster moved to his side, grasping one arm with firm hands,"where are you trying to go?"

"The porch is fine." He opened his eyes and glanced down at his hand to make sure he was still holding the phone as Wally helped him get to the porch.

Once there, he took a seat in one of the wooden chairs facing the front yard,"Thanks."

"Yell if you need me." Wally slipped back into the house, leaving Dick by himself for the time being.

He glanced down to the phone in his hands and tapped on Alfred's contact number, hesitating as soon as the green call button popped up.

He didn't know what he was going to say when the butler picked up. . .if he picked up - no, he would. It's Alfred. They were on good terms, and even if they weren't, he wouldn't ghost him like that. Ignoring a call can be fatal in their line of work - Alfred knew that, even if Tim and Barbara didn't take that into account anymore. He couldn't blame them for it though.

He tapped the call button and held the phone up to his ear, trying to stop his arm from shaking with it. The phone dialed the number and rung for half a minute before he heard it being picked up _,"Alfred Pennyworth speaking, who is this?"_

His voice got caught in his throat and he took a deep breath. Right, he changed his number a few weeks ago - that's why the caller ID wasn't clear. Still, an illogical part of him couldn't shake the outrageous idea that the butler would delete his number - he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't...god, why was he being so insecure about this?

 _"Hello?"_

Alfred's voice brought him back to the present and he immediately straightened up in his seat, gripping the phone tighter. Get a hold of yourself, Grayson.

He cleared his throat,"Alfred?"

 _"Master Dick?"_ The surprise was clear in his tone, and Dick couldn't help but smile at the familiar feeling he got from that.

"The one and only."

 _"Oh,"_ there was a pause, _"it has been quite a while. To what do I owe this wondrous occasion?"_

He felt guilt wriggling it's way into his consciousness there. He should've been the one to make an effort and keep in touch after everything,"Something happened - I...I did something stupid."

 _"Oh dear, are you alright?"_ There was genuine concern there - why wouldn't there be?

"I'm alright, for the most part." He glanced at the front door when it creaked open. Brucely had pushed it open with his muzzle and bounded over to Dick's side, tail wagging excitedly.

_"That's good to hear. May I ask what happened?"_

He reached down to rub the dog's head,"Nothing major - You don't need to worry. I just, uh, I felt like I needed to call you. We haven't talked in a while. I wondered if you'd still remember what I sounded like."

He could practically feel the frown adorning the butler's face through the phone _,"Are you implying something, master Dick?"_

His eyes widened and he immediately scrambled to correct himself,"No! Uh, I'm not saying you're old or anything - I just meant...um..."

There was light scuffling on the other side of the line and a new, muffled voice in the background. It took a moment before he heard Alfred again, _"We will have to save the catching up for later, I'm afraid. Master Damian wishes to speak with you."_

His heart rate started running a mile a minute. He hadn't heard the kid's voice since his last visit to Wayne manor, which was almost a year ago,"Does he look angry?"

 _"Seething."_ There was amusement in that tone.

Dick heaved a sigh, and moved his hand back to Brucely's head - the distraction eased his nerves a bit,"Put him on."


	6. Chapter 6

_"Grayson."_ His voice was devoid of emotion, but Dick knew better than that. There was venom in there somewhere, and he knew it was justified this time.

"Little D." The nervous tone of his voice was evident, but he couldn't be bothered to act like his heart rate was anywhere near normal.

 _"You have less right to call me that now than you ever did."_ Damian bellowed.

The guilt crawled up to Dick's throat and threatened to choke him,"I know. I'm sorry for not calling - or coming to visit. I've just been..."

 _"Don't dare say you were busy. It's been months, Grayson, and you..."_ **_You promised._**

He did. He made a promise, a few months ago, that he would visit more frequently and help train him in the areas Bruce couldn't. It was a one-sided promise — one that he made willy-nilly and Damian scoffed at out of pride.

It was still a **promise**.

"I don't have anything better to offer as an excuse, okay? I just - forgot, and I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Being distracted by an invasion was probably a pretty good excuse, but he wasn't going to bother mentioning it. People tend to be less angry if you just apologize instead of spouting excuses. This is especially the case when confronted by a kid with anger issues.

The line was silent, then he drew in a breath,"Am I forgiven?"

 _"You're lucky, Grayson."_ It's not as good as _"It's okay"_ , but he'll take whatever he can get when it comes to Damian letting him off the hook for something he did wrong.

His lips quirked up into a weak smile. It's been a while since one of his apologies had partially worked, and it felt like such a relief to have a little bit of weight lifted from his shoulders.

"I'll try to keep my promise from now on, okay? I can't come visit right now, but...I will, as soon as I can. I promise, for real this time."

There was a short pause _,"Fine. Goodbye, Grayson."_

It was an unceremonious and unexpected farewell. Alfred was put back on the line before he could even open his mouth to respond _,"Apologies, Master Damian has not been in the best of moods lately."_

"Yeah, I figured." Dick sighed. He leaned back in the chair when Brucely attempted to climb onto his lap. This wasn't a couch and it was a rather big dog, so this resulted in Dick having to manoeuvre around so they would both be seated more comfortably.

On the other side of the line, Alfred watched Damian walk back up the stairs. The child didn't look particularly happy - not that he normally did, but he did look significantly less peeved than he did before he finally talked to his older sibling.

Alfred heard the scuffling on Dick's side and returned to the call,"What happened, Master Dick?"

_"Oh - uh, I promised that I would-"_

"No. I mean to ask what happened to _you_."

 _"Me? Oh. It's nothing, as I said. I just...I messed up during patrol and had a bit of a close call."_ His tone of voice shifted, and it made Alfred uneasy.

"Is that why you felt the need to call?"

_"Yeah, I guess so..."_

"I ask again - are you alright?"

_"I'm fine."_

"I'm talking about injuries, Master Dick."

_"Alfred, I'm okay, I promise."_

He wanted to believe him — he really did, but they've been through similar situations in this family more than he could count, and a promise like that rarely meant much when none of your charges had a clue on how to ask for help.

It might be his experience with a younger, reckless Bruce talking, but he couldn't shake the thought that the boy could be dying in an alleyway or be trapped somewhere, taking the chance to use this call as a last reminder of home,"Where are you?"

_"Uh...home. My apartment, in Bludhaven."_

That overly-specific answer didn't do much to lessen the elderly man's suspicion,"Master Dick-"

There was an abrupt, loud bark on the other side of the line, with soft shushing following. Alfred tensed. Dick didn't own a dog, nor were they allowed in his apartment building at any given time. Perhaps there was no immediate danger — but what would he be lying for then?

_"It was nice talking again, Al - I... I have to go."_

The line was cut off before he could inquire about the canine in the background.

Alfred immediately reached out to dial a different number, keeping the phone pressed to his ear.

* * *

The lounge in the Justice League Watchtower was a lot bigger than the old one in Mount Justice, Tim concluded. Most of the team occupied the large space and he still somehow found himself feeling rather secluded in the area he inhabited. They were conversing in close-knit groups around the room, leaving him and Conner as solitary souls on the sofa.

The TV was set onto a sports channel, and Conner seemed to enjoy watching it about as much as he enjoyed watching static. Tim, on the other hand, couldn't be any less interested. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and removed it to check the caller ID.

Conner briefly dragged his eyes away from the wall-mounted screen,"What's that about?"

"Troubles at home, probably." He got up, left the lounge and found himself an empty room down the hall, away from prying or kryptonian ears.

Alfred could be calling for a variety of different reasons; it could be Bruce needing help or Damian having sneaked out again - both of which were capable of having terrible outcomes and were good enough reason for him to head home.

He answered the call, trying to guess what the problem could be this time,"Hey, what's this about?"

_"Master Tim. Where are you now?"_

"Uh, the Watchtower. Why?"

_"Have you heard anything from Master Dick?"_

Oh, he didn't expect that. He furrowed his brows in irritation.

"I got a missed call from him yesterday."

_"Did you return the call?"_

"No - you know I didn't, and you know why. Alfred, if this is-"

_"Something is wrong."_


End file.
